Atjtomatic doob



.I. .I. SABIN.

AUTOMATIC DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-29. I919. 7 1,305,982., latentedJune 3, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES I JJJabin W W400 A TTORNE Y8 INVENTOR J. J. SABIN.

AUTOMATIC DOOR. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29. 1919. 1,305,982. v Pa-rentedJune 3,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES lNl/E/VTDR A TTOR/VEYS JASPER J. SABIN, OF YAKIMA, WASHINGTON.

AUTOMATIC DOOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1919.

Application filed January 29, 1919. Serial No. 273,746.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JASPER J. SAB N, a citizen of the United States, and a resldent of Yakima, in the county of Yakima and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Doors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in automatic doors, and has for its object to provide a door of the character specified especially efiicient for use in mines, but adapted equally well for use as garage doors, and in any case where the door is to be automatically opened by the weight of the moving vehicle.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front View with the doors closed;

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the doors open;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cam posts and controlling bar;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the posts, showing the spiral cam groove.

As is lmown, doors or traps are used in mines to control the flow of air through the mine. In hallways, under present conditions, it is necessary to have a trapper at each door for operating the same. The present invention is designed to dispense with the services of the trapper, the arrangement being such that the Weight of the car as it moves toward the door will open the same, the door being closed by counterweights.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the doors are arranged within a substantially rectangular frame, indicated at 1, which is supported by a sill 2 arranged transversely of the entry or hallway. A pair of posts 3 is arranged in the frame, the posts being near the ends of the frame, but spaced apart therefrom, the space between each post and the adjacent end being filled bfly; a plate 4: which may be of planking or the l' e.

Each post 3 is journaled in the frame, having a reduced journal pin 5 at each end, and the said pins are received in mortises in the upper and lower cross members of the frame. The doors 6, which are two in number, are mounted to swing with the osts, being connected to the adjacent post by straps 7. Each post is provided near its lower end with a transversely extending slotted passage 8, and each of these passages is spiral with respect to the post, as shown.

A controlling bar 9 for the gates or doors has its ends reduced, as indicated at 10, and received within the slotted passageways 8, the said reduced ends moving in the passageways. Counterweights 11 are connected with the reduced ends of the controlling bar, where the said ends extend beyond the posts, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, each counterweight being connected to the reduced portion 10 of the bar by a flexible member 12, a rope in the present instance. Each rope is connected at one end to the re du ced portion 10 and at the other to the counterweight and passes over a pulley 13 intermediate its ends, the pulleys being sup ported by the to cross bar of the frame.

It will be evident that when the controlling bar is moved downward with respect to the posts, the reduced ends moving in the slotted spiral passageways which constrain the posts to rotate, and since the doors or gates are secured to the posts, the said doors or gates will be carried with the posts. The arrangement is such that'the posts rotate in opposite directions, the slotted passages of the two posts being symmetrically arranged, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Mechanism is provided to be operated by the weight of the car for depressing the controlling bar. The said mechanism comprises a trackway consisting of rails 14:. These rails, which form continuations of the track upon which the car runs, are connected at their adjacent ends by links 15, the said links resting on the controlling bar 9. The rails at each side of the gate may be suitably connected to prevent displacement, and it will be evident that when the car rolls upon the rails from either side toward the gate the bar 9 will be depressed, the posts will be rotated and the gates will be opened.

When the car moves off the rails the counterweights will restore the parts to normal position, lifting the controlling bar rails and closing the gate. The proper ventilation in mines requires that the gates entirely close the passage, that is, that there be no opening through the bulkhead in which the doors are arranged. In order to provide for the vertical movement of the controlling bar 9 without leaving a space between the same and the bottom of the frame, an apron 16 is connected with the bar, the apron depending far enough below the bar to engage tlYe face of the lower frame member when the controlling-bar is in elevated position. This plate is long enough to extend beyond the posts at its ends, and guide bars 17 are provided at the ends of the frame for preventing outward swinging movement of the lower or free edge of the plate.

It will be noticed that the plate has a flange at its upper edge which rests upon the controlling bar. The late moves downward with the controlling bar, and when the bar moves upwardly the plate closes the space between the bar and the lower cross member o fthe frame. An abutment 18' is pivoted on the upper cross member of the frame against which the door is closed to. hold them in the same plane and in proper closing position.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be noticed that each of the spiral slots 8 has at its upper end a laterally reduced portion, and that the bar 9 has at each end on itsupper portion 9 for engaging said reduced portions 8 of the slots to form a lock for holdingthe doors closed in case of a reversal of the air, for instance. These interengaging elements 8 and 9 form a positive lock for the door that will hold it closed until the bar 9 is depressed, and the bar must be depressed until the elements are out of en-' gagement before the post commences to turn. Referring to Fig. 3, 1t Wlll be seen that mechanism 1s provided for cushioning "the jar of the opening doors. This mechanism comprises posts 20 arranged ateach side of the doorway, each post having a bufier 21 in the form of a spring or the like against which the door swings when it opens. It will be understood that where mules are used or other draft animals, the space he- Copies of this patent may be obtained for tween the rails is boarded over to provide a platform upon which they may walk.

'I claim;

1. In a passageway, the combination with the doors, the pivoted posts to whichthe doors are secured, said posts having spiral slots, and the controlling bar having its ends engaging the slots to swing the ,posts when the baris depressed to open the doors, and means in connection with the posts and bars for positively locking the posts from swinging when the bar is elevated and released by the lowering of the bar-,said means comprising extensions on the top of the-bar at the slots, the slots having extensions for engagement by the extensions of thebar.

2. In a passageway, the combination with the doors, the pivoted osts to which the doors are secured, said posts having spiral slots, and the controlling bar having its ends engaging-the slots to swingthe posts when the bar is depressed to open the doors, and means in connection with the posts and bars for positively locking the posts from swinging when the bar is elevated and released by the lowering of the bar.

3. In combination with a passageway having a transverse bulkhead provided with a door opening, of vertically pivoted posts having spiral slots, a transverse counterweighted bar extending through the slots at its ends for rota-ting the posts when the bar is moved vertically, the posts carrying doors, a counterbalance for lifting'the bar, and a plate depending. from the bar andmoving therewith to close the space below the same when the bar is lifted.

JASPER J. SABIN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, .D. G. 

